Blooming Opportunities, Rewrite
by FreezingValentine
Summary: Discontinued for now!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or its characters and plot.  
Pairings: Ukitakex(male)OC, Byakuyax(female)OC, One-sided Ikkakux(female)OC before becoming IkkakuxYumichika.  
Summary: A new disease is spreading in the Rukongai and it's been ignored for far too long. From the ruins of a city, a rare flower sprouts. But will it find the energy to bloom in its new surroundings or will the haunting past make it wilt? What lies behind the events and who is lurking in the shadows? Will Soul Society bring an end to this crisis, or will it fall into enemy hands?

Warnings: Warnings will be from chapter to chapter so remember to look at them before reading!  
1st chapter contains adult themes, mentions of death; nothing explicit whatsoever in this chapter.

**IMPORTANT** Author Note: Well, here is a small preview to the **Rewrite** of my story **Blooming Opportunities**. I stressed and hurried with the first one and was not the least happy with the result. I gave up on it but later realized it wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it properly. So I picked it up again. This time I will take my time to work out everything and it will take the time it takes.  
I hope you enjoy and please leave a review.

* * *

Chapter 1. A tranquil morning

It was a lovely morning in the early days of February. The sun shone brightly from the unclouded heavens and a gentle breeze was blowing through the quiet squad buildings. The door leading to the division's captain's room was open, letting the fresh air in.

It was still early and the captain of the 4th division, Unohana Retsu, sat by her desk and sipped quietly on a cup of tea. Her shift would start in about an hour but she took her time to enjoy the still morning while it lasted.

The 4th division had been bustling with activity the past year; they had gotten lots of new recruits and the halls were full of happily chatting healers. Unohana had never seen the squad so big before and she was proud of the way her division had grown over the past years. It had been strenuous during the war nearly three decades ago; the healers had been far too few to be able to tend to all the injured and the division had been filled to the brim with them.

But it had increased morals greatly since everyone got the chance to prove what they were worth and they had to cooperate, veterans and newcomers alike. She had always been proud of the closeness in her division, but after the war it had proved to be just a shadow of what they were to become. The division was now forged together and they easily accepted new members within the ever growing family. For that was what she thought of her division, like the family she had given up on long ago. It wasn't a replacement; it had simply taken its place in her heart.

She put down her now empty teacup with a content sigh. At that moment, her lieutenant Isane entered quietly. She smiled at the young woman who returned it fondly.

"Unohana-taichou, there will be a captain's meeting around noon today. Until then it's just a little paperwork and the usual round." Isane put a small heap of paperwork on her captain's desk before she took the empty tea mug and bowed as she made her way out of the office.

Unohana scheduled her day up inside her mind and then started with her work. Time went by and when she next took a break she was almost done with the paperwork given to her earlier. She rose from her seated position and stretched slightly before she went outside to wander for a short while inside the garden close by.

She walked quietly, inhaling the smell of flowers and relaxing. It had been busy for a while before, but it was starting to calm down again and she was grateful for the spare time this granted her. She stopped and looked at a big cheery tree that grazed the garden. It was not yet in bloom but she knew it wouldn't be too long until it revealed its pale flowers to the world. Smiling softly she gazed at the dark branches for some time before she returned to her office to finish her work before the morning rounds.

She was almost done when she came upon a report that darkened her mood considerably. It stated that the 45th Rukon district had all but collapsed. The citizens had been struck by some disease and two days after healers from the 4th division had been sent there, the outbreak had reached a peak and the habitants of the district started dying one after the other. They had been unable to do anything to stop it; all their attempts at healing had failed.

She frowned and continued to read the report. The nearby district of the 44th had also been struck by the same, and she had gotten a report from the 82nd, 87th and 89th that the same thing was spreading there. It was uncertain how many districts were affected by this, especially since only a few ever got in contact with the shinigamis directly more than once every few months and then only rarely.

She reached the last page and reread the last part twice before she took a clean paper and copied the things written there. It was different symptoms that had been found. The symptoms included high fever, dark bruises, hallucinations and seizures. Death seemed to come about 2-4 days after the first symptoms showed.

After she had copied it she put the report aside and put the small note inside a pocket of her shihakusho. Cleaning her desk of any remaining paperwork and making a mental note to research in the great library about the symptoms found, she left her office to go on her usual round.

After she had checked on her patients and gotten short reports from the healers on shift Unohana made her way back to her office to eat some before it was time for captain Ukitake's examination. Her meal was light and simple and just when she was about to finish it, she heard a soft knock on her door.

"Come in" Unohana answered and put down her second cup of tea as she waited for the person to enter. The one who entered was the relatively new lieutenant of the 6th division, Sullivan Hanako. The brunette entered and gave Unohana a smile before she stated her business.

"I'm sorry to disturb your meal" she started with, obviously having noticed the dishes on the desk by the captain. Unohana simply smiled and assured her that it was no trouble.

"I wondered if perhaps you could give me some painkillers. My period have started and I have some serious cramps" She said, a slight blush on her face. Unohana smiled gently at her and rose. Motioning for her to follow, she then headed to her office inside the health department of her division.

Once they reached the room she asked a couple of questions and then examined the girl's lower abdomen before taking out some pills from a cabinet. She carefully checked the pills before writing a small note that she gave the young lieutenant together with the pills and along with a few instruction.

"Take them thrice a day; one in the morning, one around noon and the last one about an hour before you go to bed. They will take a little while before they start working and I suggest you go and rest for a couple of hours now after you take the first one. Give this to Kuchiki-taichou and he'll let you off for the rest of the morning." The young lieutenant smiled and thanked her before excusing herself.

* * *

Hanako made her way out from the office after thanking the captain and walked down the hallway when she ran into another captain. She bowed and greeted him politely.

"Ukitake-taichou" The white-haired captain smiled at her.

"Sullivan-kun, I hope your health is good" He said with a smile.

"I'm mostly fine; although I visited Unohana-taichou, it isn't anything serious." She said and saw how the slight worry that had been visible on the sickly captain's face vanished.

"That's good to hear" He said and then bid goodbye before he headed to his examination and Hanako continued on her way back to her own division.

She knocked softly on the door to her captain's office before she opened the door and entered. Byakuya didn't even look up as she entered but when she went and stood in front of his desk he finally looked up at her and waited for her to speak.

"I would like to request to be excused from duties for a few hours on behalf of Unohana-taichou. She told me to give you this." She said and handed the small note to her captain. He quickly glanced at it before putting it down on his desk and dismissing her.

"You are free until noon. I except you back here when the captain's meeting is over." Hanako bowed and excused herself and then headed to her quarters, slightly disappointed by the, although predictable, cold indifference of her captain.

* * *

Byakuya had quickly glanced at the note to verify that it was from the 4th division captain before he had dismissed his lieutenant. Since she was only requested to leave for a couple of hours it couldn't be anything serious and so he hadn't asked about any details. Besides, unlike his former lieutenant, now captain of the 5th division since five years prior, she didn't slack with her duties.

Not letting himself be distracted by petty thoughts, he returned his focus fully to the task at hand. Yet another report that needed to be signed; who would have guessed? He skimmed through it and after giving it his flowing signature picked up a new one. This one was the report from the squad he had sent on hollow extermination in the 65th district.

Skimming through it he took note of a few things; two casualties and seven injured ones. The expedition had been sent with his 3rd and 4th seat, there shouldn't have been much of a problem. Byakuya didn't need to read much longer before he found that the report had clearly been missing out on several important factors. He'd have to talk to his seated officers about this. A report like this was unacceptable. He sighed and put it to the side before picking up the next piece of paperwork.

* * *

Back in the office with Unohana, Ukitake waited patiently for the results of his examination. The time between his scheduled checkups had grown shorter after the Aizen war and was now down to once every 3rd week. Although his disease hadn't shown any signs of getting worse lately, he still steeled himself out of habit every time before he got the results.

Unohana came back from the other room where she had checked over the results of her examination. Her face was unreadable as always but then she gave him a soft smile.

"It's not getting better, but it hasn't become worse either. I saw some changes in the results to the previous one that I will study further, but nothing points towards it becoming worse in the near future."

Ukitake heaved a sigh and relaxed slightly. "That's good to hear" He said with a smile before he rose from the chair he had been sitting in and turned to leave.

"Good bye Unohana-taichou" He said before he left and Unohana answered back politely.

"Good bye Ukitake-taichou"

Outside the 4th division stood a familiar figure, leaning against the wall with his straw hat shadowing his face. Ukitake smiled as he walked over to his longtime friend and when he reached the place where he stood, he continued on, now accompanied by his friend and fellow captain.

"How did it go Juushiro?" He asked and Ukitake sent him a small smile before telling him about the newest results.

"'Nothing pointing towards worsening in the near future' huh" Kyouraku said and gave his friend a smile that showed he was relieved. Ukitake knew his friend was most likely as worried as he was every time he went for a new examination. Though he was carefree by nature, he was very concerned about those close to him. And Ukitake was happy to know he was one of the ones accounted there.

They walked calmly back to the 13th division where Kiyone and Sentarou waited with some tea. Ukitake offered his fellow captain some but he declined and said something about Nanao hitting him if he didn't get to work soon and that Ukitakes office was a too obvious place to hide. Ukitake laughed and waved goodbye at his friend before he seated himself with his tea and listened to his 3rd and 4th seat argue about who got to make tea next time.

Finishing his tea he started to do some of the paperwork he had to do, dismissing the worried and insistent pleas for him to take it easy and rest for a while. He felt fine and wanted to get something done before the captains meeting at noon. He had missed the one before since he had been out with his squad, and the one before that because of a coughing fit. The white-haired captain didn't feel like missing another one just because he rested or was late with his paperwork.

About two hours later the captain of the 13th division waited together with the other captains in the meeting room for the Captain Commander to start. All captains were present during the meeting and the atmosphere was as formal as it usually was.

"Captains of the Gotei 13; I am glad to see that all of you have found time to attend this meeting" There was a slight rebuke in that statement and Ukitake notice he wasn't the only one to wince slightly. It seemed like Soifon-, Hitsugaya- and Abarai-taichou had also missed some meetings.

The Captain Commander seemingly content with the reaction then started the meeting. He informed them about the most important news and then went on to talk about the minor changes to their schedules. When that was over with, he turned to Unohana.

"Unohana-taichou, I heard that you have something important to inform us about. If you would?" Yamamoto said and all attention was focused on the healer of the 4th. She stepped forward and started her report.

"For some time now I have received worrying reports from different districts of the Rukongai concerning a disease. As usual I sent a few squads out to the different places reported to have been affected. It seems that a plague like disease is spreading in the outer and middle districts. What worries me is that I have not been able to identify the disease yet, although I received some new information that I have yet to inspect further. I would like a warning to be issued for the squads heading to the further districts about this disease and I would also like to request the help of the 12th division on finding the source and origin of the spread." She completed her speech and waited for a reaction.

The other captains spoke quietly to their neighbors but were silenced after a few moments by the captain commander.

"Make the necessary precautions; the disease is not to reach inside the Seireitei. I expect you to handle this situation correctly Unohana-taichou." Unohana bowed her head before once more taking her place and listening to the status reports of the other captains.

Nothing of much importance was brought up after the 4th captain's report about the disease and the meeting was dismissed soon thereafter.

Unohana was about to return to her division when Byakuya walked up to her and asked if he could have a word with her. They walked slowly side by side for a short time before Byakuya finally broached the subject.

"I had seven injured men on the latest mission to the outer regions of the Rukongai." He said and seemed to gather his thoughts before he continued.

"I talked to the ones who had been on the mission; the report they had given me was far from complete. But they mentioned some unusual things that they had refrained from in the report. It seems like they sighted a strange hollow while passing through one of the towns."

Unohana listened to her fellow captain and thought through her words carefully before she spoke.

"During the years after the war, unusual hollows have appeared quite frequently. The structure of hollows has been thought to have been effected to greatly to reverse by the events caused by Aizen." She said and the 6th division captain nodded slightly before casting a glance at her.

"But none of these hollows have had the ability to strike fear in the division members with its mere presence. " This caught Unohanas attention more than what had been said before and she quietly inspected his expression.

"This strange hollow, did they eliminate it?" She asked quietly and Byakuya sighed.

"They did not. When I asked them why they said that just being near it had nearly paralyzed them for some reason. And several ones have mentioned that the hollow seemed to vanish in thin air when they got closer to it." They had now reached the place where they had to go different routes to arrive at their separate divisions. Byakuya stopped and looked over at the healer.

"I'll send the report on the hollow to you. I want it analyzed and reported if found somewhere else. I have my suspicions that this hollow has been around for a while."

Unohana nodded at him and then they said their goodbyes before returning to their own divisions and duties.

* * *

A/N: Well, as noticed this chapter wasn't too long. It also swapped between the POV's, but that was so you would know wich characters it would focus on during the story. I have yet to present a couple of characters but they will come later on. Hope you enjoyed and prefered this version to the first one. Leave a review and if you wonder about anything, don't hesitate to ask ^^


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Don't own!  
Warnings: Silliness, blood (matching, right?)

* * *

It was evening and a cold gust of wind was blowing outside; a reminder that winter hadn't left just yet. Inside her private quarters Unohana was sitting by her desk, reading several reports she had brought back from her office.

She had taken off her captain's haori and changed her clothes to a warm and cozy kimono. Her braid was now falling down her back and she had draped a shawl over her shoulders to ward of the cold that emanated through the huge building; seeping in through cracks and thin walls.

She had received the report Byakuya had promised her about five hours ago and she had added it to her growing pile of research material. After returning shortly to her division she had headed for the great library where she had begun her research. She had stayed in the silence of the room for several hours before she finally left it at the urge of her lieutenant, whom had come in order to make sure she didn't overwork herself by getting immersed in her research.

A cup of tea was on the end of her desk, long since forgotten. Sighing softly, the captain put down the paper she had been reading. The text was small and scrawny and the language was old and flowery to the point where it was hard to keep track of the few valuable pieces of information she got from it. And every time she turned to write down a note, she would lose her place in the text and be forced to reread it until it was found.

Rubbing her tired eyes she tries to gather her thoughts. Even after hours of searching, she had found next to none information. She had found mentions of diseases like the one they were faced with now, but none that matched perfectly.

_It's too early to come to any conclusions_; her zanpakuto spirit chides her gently and she smiles softly in response. Her zanpakuto was right, it **was** too early. But it was also far too late to try and analyze the facts; she could do that in the morning.

Having decided that, she gathers the reports and puts them in something that resembles order before putting them away. Rising from her kneeling position she notices the forgotten tea and picks it up. Bringing it to her lips she grimaces at the bitter taste. It had gone cold.

Deciding against drinking it she instead wraps the shawl more firmly around her shoulders and walks out from her quarters along a small corridor to a kitchen. Disposing of the cold tea she then cleans the cup and rinses her mouth from its previous contents bitter aftertaste before putting it away.

As she walks back along the corridor she listens to the silent sounds of the night. The wood creaking underfoot, the wind blowing past and playing in the withered grass, someone walking at the path outside; all the small sounds that are left unheard and forgotten during the day.

The small sounds lulls her to a state of drowsiness as she listens to them and she feels of the day's work starts to catch up to her. Walking the few steps left to her room she then enters and walk over to her futon were she quietly slides out of the outer layer of her garments, leaving her in a soft, white sleeping gown. She slides under the covers and makes herself comfortable before she lets herself drift into the comfort off sleep.

* * *

A knock was heard and then the door opened quietly; Isane wincing slightly at the creak of it. She gazed inside and saw her captains sleeping features. Normally, Unohana would wake up before her; she must have worked late yesterday for her to sleep in.

Just as she thought this she saw how the 4th division's captain opened her eyes and turned her head to the door, her eyes still slightly fogged by seep. Isane moved inside and closed the door behind her before she made her way over to her captain. Not many knew of this side of the captain; the drowsiness she was in when allowed to sleep until she was fully rested or the way she would yawn and stretch in a highly unrefined way before she slipped into her normal routine behavior.

"Isane, could you bring us some tea?" Unohana asked and smiled at her lieutenant. Isane quickly put out some clean clothes and her captain's haori before she hurried to obey.

When she came back with two cups of steaming tea she found that her captain had already dressed and was brushing her long dark hair. She put the tea down before them and then seated herself nimbly on the floor and took one of the cups. She sipped quietly at it as she waited for her captain.

Unohana drew the brush through her hair one last time before she put the brush down and picked up the comb instead; which she drew through all of her hair once, before she braided the long strands.

Putting the comb and brush aside she then moves closer to where her lieutenant is and picks up her tea, enjoying the sweet smell before taking a small sip of the hot brew.

They sat there is silence for some time, simply enjoying the undisturbed time they had. It was still so early that the sun hadn't peeked up from its resting point beyond the horizon and the air was still.

"I looked through the papers I gathered yesterday" Unohana said, breaking the silence. Isane glanced at her from the edge of her cup and waited.

"I found a lot, but nothing fit the description of the disease; at least not completely. Some things were the same, but others were different" Unohana said then.

"That was to be expected though." Isane said quietly and Unohana gave her a praising look. She had expected nothing less from her. The reason Unohana had these conversations in the morning when she instead could let her lieutenant sleep for a couple of hours more was so she could analyze the things she had learned the day before and bring her thought in order.

Isane was a very bright woman and she always seemed to know just what to say to bring insight into the situation. Unohana was very proud of her and at times like this she showed it more than she usually did.

"It was" She answered her lieutenant. "It's too early to say anything specific about this disease; especially since we haven't encountered enough of cases. Until our healers from the 44th and 45th come back, the only things we can rely on are research and reports." She turned quiet before she continued in a slightly questioning tone.

"Perhaps we should put the old Bell-Portals to use again" She mused aloud. The bell-portals were portals that could be opened from different points in the Seireitei and the closest Rukongai districts that lead directly to a quarantined part of the 4th division. They hadn't been in use since about two and a half century ago when the latest plague had struck soul society.  
The reason for their name was that whenever a new victim had been brought inside, a string of bells that connected throughout the division to the captain's office and the most populated offices, started to chime.

If this truly was like a plague, then the ones who could have come in contact with it should not travel through the Seireitei unchecked. They could be potential carriers, after all.

"Should I inform the gate keepers then?" Isane broke into her musings and she looked over at the woman.

"Please do" She answered after thinking over it quickly. "I will write a formal order later and go to Yamamoto-soutaichou to request the portals revival and a new meeting to be held in the next few days. Could you inform the lieutenants that I wish everyone from the different divisions who have been on missions in the affected districts come to the division for a checkup?"

"I'll bring it up on today's lieutenant meeting." Isane answered and Unohana nodded in thanks before finishing her tea and rising. As she walked towards her office, Isane took away the dishes before following suit.

* * *

The sun was climbing up from its seat in the horizon, basking the world in golden morning light. By the open window of a small room by the 6th division, a brown-haired woman sat and read from a book. Hanako had woken about an hour earlier when the pain in her abdomen came back and had risen to wash away the blood and put away the soiled cloth.

She had decided against taking another of the pills that Unohana had prescribed her; if she took one this early it wouldn't last until noon when she was supposed to take her second one. So instead she had chosen to bear the dull pain until breakfast. It wasn't like it hurt all the time either way, so she could manage.

Her green eyes scanned the page before she turned to the next one and continued to read. She was close to the end of the book but knew she wouldn't be able to finish it before she had to get ready for work. And she couldn't exactly be late.

Not only was she working under the very strict captain of the 6th division, Kuchiki Byakuya, but she was also his lieutenant and as such was supposed to be a sort of role model for the other members of the division. But this was only part of the reason. She wouldn't be late mostly because it had been drilled into her since a young age to be presentable and in time no matter where she was headed.

She had never complained about it though it was hard at times. She was fortunate in the way that she had been born in one of the higher noble families, although only in the branch house, not the main. As a noble she had many responsibilities, but when compared to the benefits she found nothing to complain about. The only thing that could ever cause her grief about her birth was that eventually she would have to get married to someone chosen by her family.

Sighing softly as her thoughts had strayed to her own problematic life from the lovely romantic one she read about, she put her bookmark inside the book before closing it and putting it away. She rises and closes her window before she walks over to the inner room and changes into her shinigami uniform. She brushes her hair quickly before putting it up in a high ponytail.

Taking the bottle of small pills and a small napkin she takes out two pills and folds the napkin protectively around them before putting them inside a pocket of her shihakusho. She once more puts the bottle away and then puts her room in order before she heads out to get something to eat so she can finally get rid of that stomachache.

* * *

Byakuya sat by his desk and worked on the never ending paperwork in front of him; he didn't have much else to do today. He had taken care of the problem concerning the aggravating report yesterday and when he was done with it, Hanako had come in and dragged them off to give her own lecture. He had been surprised when he only an hour later had received a perfectly written report as well as three formal apologies on his desk.

The door to his office was open and he glanced over since he was already sufficiently distracted by his own thoughts. The one who entered was his lieutenant and she gave a curt bow at him along with a formal "Good morning, Kuchiki-taichou".

He nodded in response before returning to his work. She was punctual as usual, he noted before he started to write on a report he had to give the General Commander by midday.

A couple of hours later he stopped in his steady pace of working and rose to prepare for a family meeting over lunch he had back at the manor. He noticed how Hanako looked up from her work and giving him a questioning look. He simply met her gaze before he turned and exited the office. That was quite a subtle dismissing gesture but he had used it before and she hadn't batted an eye.

Pushing unnecessary thoughts from his mind he walked through his division and onto toward the Kuchiki estate.

* * *

They were all gathered along the table and were for the moment only focusing on the food. At least that was what could be seen on the surface. Most likely were the clan members waiting for something; perhaps they were trying to gauge his mood? _Good luck_.

Byakuya couldn't stop the smug thought that his brain decided was appropriate but didn't try to argue; it was **his** brain, after all. Eating his food slowly he waited for whatever was meant to happen.

After a while, when most of the gathered clan members had finished their meal, one of the elders spoke up.

"Byakuya-sama, we are grateful that you took time out of your busy schedule to attend this dinner." He stated with a voice that was raspy and hoarse from old age. Clearing his throat loudly he then continued.

"We have something important to discuss with you. This discussion had been hanging for far too long, we can no longer ignore this. You have to get married and conceive an heir."

The room was silent after that and everyone was staring at the clan head to see how he would react. Byakuya had stilled at those words but now lifted his small cup of saké to his lips.

"Unthinkable" He answers before calmly taking a sip of the alcoholic drink.

"Byakuya! This is no matter that you can argue! The clan's wellbeing and prosperity is in your hands; you can't just crush the trust the clan has put in you!" One of the younger members of the advisors council said, his voice dripping of rage.

"You are out of line" Byakuya said and glared at the man who returned the glare wholeheartedly. He would not accept some ignorant weakling to tell him what his responsibilities were.

"He may be out of line but he does also have a point. You can no longer chide your responsibilities towards the continuation of the clan." The old man spoke up again and Byakuya glared hard at him. It was inevitable that this discussion was brought up again; it had already been over eighty years since Hisana's death. He ground his teeth and forced himself back behind the walls he had created around himself.

"You don't have much of a choice in this matter Byakuya-sama" The man said placatory. "You must have realized you could not continue to hide behind the image of your dead wife forever." The old man's voice had grown softer and Byakuya found that he felt a small twinge of guilt at the words.

"That's right! It's not like she was anything special either way; you should let go of her and get yourself a real beauty from the noble houses!" The comment was followed by laughter and whatever guilt Byakuya had felt for his decision was washed away by pure rage. He rose and before anyone had any time to react, he had pinned the offending man against the table with a tight grip around his throat.

"Don't you dare insult her memory!" He roared at the man who shivered and struggled for breath that was cut short by the firm grip around his throat and the sudden spirit pressure emanating from the enraged captain.

The others, the ones who were able to move under the great pressure, rushed up and instantly moved to remove Byakuya from the man. Byakuya let himself be dragged back as the more rational part of his brain regained control. He took a deep breath and relaxed in his keepers hold until they lessened it. That's when he broke free and with quick steps stomped out of the room after throwing a seething glare at the gathered clansmen who either cast worried glances at him or at the injured man gasping for breath by the now cluttered table.

He stomped through the corridor, seething with anger. He stopped outside his private quarters and took a deep, calming breath. A voice from behind surprised him and he turned slightly towards the sound.

"That was very unlike you, Byakuya" His grandfather said and Byakuya turned his head to the side in shame.

"You are aware that your behavior will today will bring about consequences, don't you?" The man asked and Byakuya turned to the door again, his back against his grandfather.

"I know; I will accept punishment for my behavior but that doesn't mean I've changed my mind" He said without looking at his ancestor.

"You know that they are right; you need to move on." The words where ones he'd heard many times before but the answer he gave this time was different.

"I loved her" Byakuya said softly.

"I know you did" Ginrei said and looked sympathetically at his grandson.

Byakuya opened the door and disappeared within his quarters, leaving his grandfather outside with a look of sorrow on his old features.

* * *

It was nearly dark outside when Byakuya returned to his office. After the fight at the meeting he had returned to his quarters to gather his thoughts and rein in his emotions again. His grandfather had been right; it had been very unlike him to lash out like that. Not only that, it had been unsightly. He was immensely glad that Rukia hadn't been present.

He walked inside his office and found it empty. The paperwork on his own desk was neatly organized and everything except a few forms that needed his specific signature had been signed already. He turned to look at his lieutenant's desk and found it in perfect shape as well. She must have fixed it while he was away and left already.

He didn't know whether to be annoyed or relieved to be honest. If he was to be honest with himself, he had been looking forward to distract himself with the office work. Settling for completing what little work was left to then take a walk, perhaps speak with Ukitake-taichou for a bit, he pushed the lingering unsettlement from before aside.

It didn't take long to get the few forms signed and he finally decided that he was grateful for the lack of paperwork. He would have to thank Hanako later.

He walked out of the office and headed for the 13th division to see the long-time captain. When he arrived he didn't need to ask where Ukitake was as he instantly felt the man's familiar reiatsu from the garden. He headed there and just as he thought, he found the white-haired captain on the veranda overlooking the garden with a cup of tea in his hands.

Ukitake looked up as he felt the familiar reiatsu of the 6th division captain and smiled broadly at him before inviting him to sit with him. Byakuya sat down by the other man and for a moment just gazed out at the garden. As usual, he felt how his inner turmoil calmed in the presence of the man beside him.

"Bad day?" Ukitake asked and Byakuya blinked before he could stop himself. He really should be used to it by now, but Ukitake still managed to surprise him with his sharp insight that seemed to struck like lightning; and be gone as fast as it came.

"Meeting over dinner with the Kuchiki elders" He answered in monotone and Ukitake gave a sympathetic look. At least his family had stopped trying to influence him. After several centuries, but still. Being a noble truly was more trouble than it was worth at times; it must be even worse for the 6th captain who was the head of his whole clan.

"It can't have been that bad" He tried and saw how a glimmer of something flared in Byakuya's eyes before he spoke.

"Worse than you can imagine" Byakuya said and actually felt a sort of amusement enter his voice. If he looked past the seriousness of the situation, it was actually quite amusing.

"Oh?" Ukitake said; curiosity obvious in his voice.

"I guess you could say that the servants will have some more work to do today" He said and watched how his friend furrowed his brows in confusion.

"And why would that be?" Ukitake asked but when the Kuchiki noble wouldn't elaborate he sighed and gave the man a mockingly scolding glare.

"You shouldn't tease your elders!" He said and they both knew he wasn't only referring to the Kuchiki clansmen.

A chuckle was heard from behind and the two captain turned to see how Kyouraku came walking down the wooden path. He looked at the two captains and seated himself.

"What is this I hear about elders? You haven't been teasing Juu-chan while I was away have you, Byakuya-kun?" His voice was full of mirth and Byakuya felt his mouth quirk into a smile as Ukitake started to scold Kyouraku for eavesdropping and for using such an embarrassing nickname.

"If I remember, you are of the same age as Ukitake" Byakuya said and Ukitake instantly agreed before laughing at the 8th division captain who was pouting.

"And now you're all ganging up on this old man" He said, causing another wave of laughter.

Ukitake coughed slightly by the end, but waved away the others concern. It was a very light cough and he was in too good of a mood to let it bother him. He was just about to ask if they wanted some tea when they heard even more footsteps approach.

"Is this some secret gathering or something?" Renji looked at the gathered captains and they smiled back at him.

"Is that what it's called these days? If that's the case, we were just about to discuss our secret plans of drinking tea" Ukitake said and Kyouraku laughed out loud at the comment. Byakuya let out a short snort and Renji chuckled a bit.

"Care to join us, Abarai-kun?" Ukitake asked and Renji scratched his head nervously.

"Well… actually, I came to look for Kuchiki-taichou" He turned to Byakuya "Rukia says she'll be late back. She went out shopping presents with Orihime and Yuri in the human world" Renji relayed the message and Byakuya nodded before thanking him for relaying the message.

"Oh! It's about time for little Daisuke-kun's and Tori-chan's birthday isn't it? How are the twins?" Ukitake asked happily and Renji thought back before he answered.

"They're not so 'little' anymore" Ren ji said with a grin. "Tori is up to her usual pranks; giving Ichigo one hell of a work with her expeditions. Daisuke is fine as well; he surprised me like hell when he brought home a girl the other day. Yuri was all over the poor couple while Ichigo mostly stayed out of their way" He chuckled at the memory and he was joined by the 8th and 13th division captains.

"Looks like things are never calming down in the Kurosaki household" Kyouraku said and grinned. The contact they had with the substitute hadn't been the best after the war, but they kept him informed about the major happenings in the shinigami world and Rukia went on regular visits to the human.

Ichigo had come over a couple of times to soul society as well, once was when he declared he was getting married. That had caused quite the uproar among his friends and a big party had been held where everyone had tried to get as much information out of the substitute as possible.

Another time was on the 10 year celebration of the end of the Aizen war. He had been forced to hold a speech which he had almost boycotted since he had been informed about it about 5 minutes before it was time. After quickly blocking every possible escape route they had finally managed to get the strawberry to speak. It had ended quite feisty though, when Kenpachi got riled up and decided that he wanted to see if Ichigo had gotten any stronger since last time.

_Ah, the good old times_, Kyouraku thought with a lazy smile. Not that the current days were bad. Juushiro's health was better now than during the war, calm reined in the Seireitei and his days were filled spending time with his longtime friend, sleeping and escaping his paperwork along with the nagging lectures of Nanao. And some saké always fit inside when things got dull.

Nothing big was happening so it was a time where they could afford to relax; which was what Kyouraku had all intention of doing. And he's drag Ukitake into it as well; the man needed his rest.  
Focusing on the discussion around him again, that had moved onto flowers in some mysterious way, he interrupted with a chuckle and a question of where that planned tea went. Ukitake instantly called for Kiyone and Sentaro and they moved the comfortable discussion inside, where they were sheltered from the chilly February wind and warmed by tea and newly baked cookies.

* * *

A/N: So... here we go with the next chapter! Yes, it's moving along a bit slowly but the things in the beginning are important!  
This chapter started out a bit gloomy, so I had to bring some cheerfulness in at the end!  
And it's not like everyone just suddenly gets all serious about some disease, like, SNAP! Right? ^^;  
Either way, please review and you can munch on one of Juushiro's cookies while at it! ^o^


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Don't own!  
Warnings: Light swearing, otherwise nothing other than already warned for.

A/N: Sorry that it focuses so much on Unohana and her division! She is not the main character for this story, but she is very important throughout it since she is the main healer in Seireitei and would be the one in charge of this kind of situation.

And… the real reason is that she hogged all the spotlight and wouldn't let me change the setting to invite the next character unto the stage _

But soon I'll introduce the rest of the important characters of the story and then the plot will take a sharp turn and really start the story! ^^

And thank you for the reviews! Don't worry; I'm not close to giving up on this story! As I must have mentioned somewhere, it won't leave me alone until finished properly. ^^

* * *

"Unohana-taichou! Please hurry to the 7th quarantine room!" A young healer called to her and she finished the task at hand before she headed out. Over the past hours she had been busy racing from one room to another. The healers that had been sent to the 45th district had returned in the evening together with their escort and they had instantly been brought to the quarantined area of the division to be checked over.

But before they had even reached the assigned rooms, two of the healers had collapsed due to sudden dizziness. When checked, the first thing that was noticed was the sudden flaring fever that erupted.

Unohana hadn't taken any risks and had demanded that every healer available to take care of them would go and clean themselves. They were strictly ordered to use the resistance technique before touching the sick. Separating the sick and assigning healers to treat them took barely any time at all and Unohana sent one of the healers that hadn't come in contact with the possibly sick division members to inform Isane that she expected her to run the rest of the division for the time being.

Unohana had now reached the 7th room and when she entered she instantly noticed the dark spots that crawled across the patient's inner arm from the wrist to the elbow region. Her 14th seated officer was at the moment letting a steady flow of reiatsu trickle into the un-responding patient, her brow furrowed in deep concentration. When Unohana arrived and put her hands above hers, she moved back with a quiet sigh of relief, giving space for the more skilled healer to take her place.

"He started thrashing around about 8 minutes ago and we were forced to hold him down while performing a calming technique of the 3rd grade. He responded to it and calmed down again, but then about 4 minutes ago he started to have troubles breathing and I tried widening his windpipes but it didn't work" She reported and Unohana listened carefully to it even as she widened the passage in the patient's throat with her reiatsu. Air started to flow more naturally into the strained lungs and she now shifted her focus to the other internal organs to see if anything was wrong there.

The other patient she had been treating had showed extreme pains in the lower abdomen and when she had examined the woman she saw that her womb was deteriorating and her kidney was starting to give up to something that seemed to stiffen the walls of the organ.

After a brief examination of the inner organs she found the same sort of substance in the man's stomach and moved to remove it. She managed to take some of it away, but it was only a temporal fix.

"Kawano-san, please get the antibiotics on the 5th shelf" She asked the girl and she instantly obeyed. A few moments later she was back with the clear bottle and a needle.

Unohana went on to instruct the girl where to inject it and how big of a dosage it was before she let the girl give the treatment. She put the needle at the right point and Unohana gave her a compliment on her precision before she let the reiatsu she had continually used to purge the substance in the man's organs with, fade.

"Take care of him until the next healer comes for the next shift. If you have any troubles before that, don't hesitate to ask for assistance" She told the young girl who nodded before seating herself next to the man, keeping watchful blue eyes on the monitors showing his body functions.

The tired captain of the 4th division exited the room and headed to the washing area where she cleansed herself and put on a pair of new clean clothes before heading out of the quarantine. She looked at the sky outside and saw that it was colored a pale pearly grey; it was still about 2 hours before the sun would rise.

She sighed as she realized she wouldn't have the time to sleep as she had to prepare for the captains meeting she had requested for the afternoon. Before that she would have to check the shinigamis she had sent after for a checkup and then she would also have to gather samples from every patient suspected of having the disease and start examining them as well as sending them to the 12th division.

It was looking like the days of calm mornings and peaceful times were over with.

* * *

When Isane was done with her morning round and headed to her captain's sleeping area, she was still a bit sleepy. She had been tasked to run the division while Unohana took care of the quarantined area the day before. She had worked late and hadn't seen her captain before she went to sleep. It wasn't really surprising when she found that her captain's bed was untouched. She sighed and went to prepare some revitalizing tea for her captain; she would need it if she was going to keep up with the schedule set for the next few days.

She found her captain in her office where she was seated with a couple different stacks of paper and books. She was writing quickly and didn't look up when Isane entered with the tea.

"Unohana-taichou, please drink this before you continue" Isane finally said as Unohana put her pen away for a moment. The captain seemed slightly surprised at her presence at first but then smiled and thanked her before downing the tea.

"How did it go?" Isane asked and the black-haired captain sighed.

"It was stressful. All patients in the quarantine are stabile for now, but I'm afraid they will need treatment several times a day… individually" She said and Isane felt how a worried frown creased her brow. Usually the captain was able to bring them to a stabilized state and then let the patient take care of the rest. Healing techniques can only go that far, after all. They can only help the body on the way to heal itself.

For a patient to need several treatments the damage must be severe. She hadn't seen any of the reports concerning the details of the disease; she suspected that her captain was keeping them to herself so that she could focus on the normal patients while she took care of the emergency cases.

"How are the other patients? I haven't been able to check in on them yet" Unohana asked and Isane went on to report about the status of the current patients.

"How is Ayasegawa's wrist?" She asked knowing that the man had been extremely angry when he had been forced to stay and refrain from training due to a crack in the bone after a surprise training session with Kenpachi.

"It's healing well. He's grumpy and has tried to leave the division about five times. I decided that he can leave this morning since he just disturbs the other patients. But if he hurts the wrist anymore, I told him he would be locked up in the 4th division and specially cared for until he was properly healed. He was quite eager to agree to not straining himself after that" Isane said with a smile and Unohana chuckled.

The 4th division had eventually gotten tired by the way the 11th division always caused troubles and tried to escape the more boring type of treatment like resting. It was then that a certain healer had threatened one of the division members to lock him up if he didn't let his body heal. She had kept true to her word and locked the 11th division member inside his rehab room and kept him there for 2 days until he was signed out healthy.

After that, several other healers had started to stand up for themselves and it had become routine to say the threat of locking them up if they didn't cooperate. The division truly had started to gain some respect after that incident. Unohana herself didn't need to use the threat; everyone knew that if she told them to do something, they would do it or incur her wrath.

No one chooses the second option.

"That's good, he'll do something unnecessary if he's too restless and the fracture wasn't so bad that he'll have to stay here if it agitates him that much. We'll have him sent here for a checkup in a couple of days to see how he is though" Unohana said and Isane nodded at her captain.

"Now, how about we eat some breakfast?" The captain offered her lieutenant and Isane smiled in relief that she didn't have to nag her captain into eating.

* * *

"Hey, Yumichika!" Ikkaku called out and Yumichika turned around to see his friend coming.

"Where were ya yesterday?" He asked and Yumichika nearly grimaced before holding his bandaged wrist up. The bandages were mostly hidden under his orange arm warmer, but the parts of it that was wrapped up and around his thumb was clearly visible.

"I was held prisoner in the 4th division" He said indignantly and Ikkaku laughed.

"It's not fun! They used dazers to keep me down and I didn't manage to escape until this morning!" Ikkaku just laughed harder and Yumichika smacked his head which earned him a glare which he returned levelly. They stared at each other for some time before they were interrupted.

"Oh? I was wondering what the ruckus was about. Finally managed to escape the 4th division huh, Yumichika?" A dark haired man from the division said and gave a short laugh.

"They would not have held me back that long if they had been fair!" Yumichika protested angrily and the man waved a hand dismissively.

"Don't worry, don't worry! I believe you – though I can't say anything about the others" He said and his face split into a wide grin. Yumichika's eyes widened slightly.

"Just how wide spread is it that I was at the 4th division?" He asked and the low ranking officer answered him with a wolfish grin on his face.

"About the whole division I would say" He laughed and then waved his hand as he walked away.

Yumichika was fuming; this was terrible! It was horrible enough that he himself had to witness his own defeat, but for the whole division to know that he had been knocked out by the 4th! He'd die of shame!

"Haha, well it's not really that bad. I didn't know about it, right Yumi?" Ikkaku said and Yumichika looked at him.

"I don't wanna hear that from you, it would be pitiful" Yumichika said then and turned away.

"What did you say?" Ikkaku roared affronted by Yumichika's attitude. Yumichika smiled to himself. He wouldn't admit it, but Ikkaku's words had made him feel better. Ikkaku was about to call again when he caught a glimpse of the amusement in his friends eyes.

"Damn bastard" He muttered before crossing his arms behind his head and started walking towards the training area. Yumichika followed after his friend happily humming on a random melody.

"Huh? Ya can't train?" Kenpachi stared down at his 5th seat, displeasure evident on his expression.

"Can't and can't… It's more like I shouldn't" Yumichika answered vaguely. He really wished he hadn't been forced to have this conversation, especially not in front of all the ones gathered for training. They whispered among themselves and he could hear their gleeful comments. He was painfully aware of how his reputation was being ruined for every second that went.

"I don't care if ya have some issues; as long as ya can stand ya can fight!" Kenpachi said and Yumichika flinched before he dodged the swipe of his captain's sword.

"See? Ya seem to have enough energy ta dodge, then ya can fight" He smiled crazily before ordering the training to be resumed.

Yumichika sighed before he took out his sword and balanced it carefully in his injured hand. It didn't hurt. He turned to see that Ikkaku was waiting for him and sighed and then charged.

Ikkaku and Yumichika exchanged blows that became more and more violent, their fight taking up more space as they got into a rhythm. Yumichika felt his wrist throb painfully every once in a while but ignored it and continued to match and return his partners moves.

He had seen the glances cast his way at the beginning of the fight, gleeful and calculating, waiting for an opportunity to make a fool out of him. But he fought like nothing was wrong and easily kept up with his long time friend.

It ended just like he thought it would. After a few minutes Ikkaku managed to smack the sword out of his hand resulting in his loss. He had fought beautifully though, and nothing bad could be said about him. He had upheld his shredded reputation.

He picked up his sword and sheathed it before capturing the captain's eyes and leaving. He didn't see the expression that Ikkaku wore.

* * *

Ikkaku hadn't seen Yumi in this kind of mood in a while. It had been about ten years, to be more exact. He had thought his friend had gotten over it by now, but obviously it wasn't that way. It didn't help that the event from that day was being rubbed in his face all the time. Ikkaku would have spoken to Yumichika about it before if it hadn't been for the fact that he didn't know what to say.

He heard how some of the newer members where gossiping amongst themselves. He heard how one of the veterans corrected them, but it didn't matter; they both spoke of the same thing either way. Couldn't they just let it go? It had been years ago! Ikkaku thought angrily before stomping away to find his long time friend.

He knew better than to try and comfort him, and he would never do something as sentimental as that! But he knew that Yumichika would most likely still want him to at least be somewhere close. He didn't want him to think he was hated for it; it wasn't really his fault after all.

Ikkaku left the training hall and Kenpachi followed him with his gaze until he disappeared.

"Still no improvement, huh?" he muttered to himself and Yachiru appeared at his shoulder and sighed.

"They're idiots after all" She chirped, her expression set in a pout. Why did they have to behave like that! She would have to teach them a lesson soon; she decided, and then went off to the Women's association meeting. She couldn't be late today! After all, they would eat cake!

* * *

A/N: Not a long chapter this time, but I had to throw some things in. But there we go; finally Yumichika and Ikkaku join the mix! And what was that event now again? And what's up with Kenpachi? Did I make you curious? ;3

Please review! It makes me happy and encourages me to write ^^


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I still don't own!  
Warnings: Ehm… Nothing new

A/N: IMPORTANT! Felt like I should inform you ahead of time. The OC's that appear in this story will mostly be used as stepping stones to bring out reactions from the other characters and they will disappear as the story progresses, one way or another. Only 2 of the OC's will stay important throughout the story, so do not fear for an avalanche of OC's taking over.

Also! I will try and keep the OC's in check. It's hard, they often get unbalanced and either just turns Mary-sue or they… turn Mary-sue. I do NOT want that. Which is why I'm already now toning them down in my head, you can never be too careful.

Onto the story!

* * *

It was about noon and the sun was hiding behind one of the few clouds on the sky, its warmth not quite reaching the ground. Yumichika walked briskly through the division towards the rooms that was his own. His hand twitched every time it was jostled as he moved but he didn't let his discomfort be seen as he hurried onward. When he reached the room he opened it and entered.

The door slammed shut with a sharp tug of his uninjured hand and he went over to the drawer in his room. He took out a piece of white cloth and then went over to the small cupboard and took out a bowl and some new bandages. He filled the bowl with cold water before putting it all down on the floor and seating himself in front of it. The arm warmer was carefully removed and the old bandages followed after, revealing red and swollen flesh.

He hadn't imagined it then, it had been strained. He sighed and took the cloth and put it in the water till it was soaked through before wrenching some of the water out and carefully putting it on the swollen joint. He winced as the cold rag made contact with his heated skin but ignored it and fastened it with a small pin. Then he lay down on his back and simply rested.

He wasn't tired, maybe a bit emotionally, but the reason he was resting was because it was what he had been supposed to do before. It was possible that he would get locked up in the 4th for this. He chuckled humorlessly, a small smile adorning his face. Then he saw the look his captain had given him before and his small smile turned to one of self loathing.

"He must still scorn me, huh." He said to the empty room and then turned over on his side, staring at his hurt wrist. He let out a deep sigh before closing his eyes. It didn't take long before his breaths evened out and he fell asleep.

* * *

Ikkaku guessed that Yumichika had headed to his room and went there, taking his time as he walked the longest way there. He didn't want to barge in and he guessed that Yumichika would want some privacy to gather his thoughts before meeting anyone.

Eventually he reached the corridor with his room though and went over to the door and knocked. He didn't receive an answer but knew that his friend wouldn't be too mad if he opened either way. He opened the door and spoke.

"Hey Yumi, how are ya…" He stopped mid sentence when he saw Yumichika's form on the floor. A bowl of water and some bandages was still on the floor and as he let his gaze travel over his friends figure he saw the white cloth surrounding his wrist. A small pool of water was underneath it and Ikkaku realized that Yumichika must have stayed that way for some time.

He walked inside and closed the door before heading over to the still figure. When he went closer and kneeled beside his friend he noticed that he was deeply asleep; hair slightly tousled and his feathers smashed underneath him. A smile broke out on his face at the sight and he fought not to laugh. Once he managed to get control over his bubbling mirth he cleared his throat and then went over to seat himself against the wall. If Yumichika was asleep he could wait.

Yumichika woke up about an hour later. He slowly turned onto his back and then sat up; unaware that Ikkaku was in the room. He blinked and yawned before taking a look at his wrist. When he took away the cloth he saw that the swelling hadn't gone down and it was still warm to the touch.

"Woah, so that's why ya weren't as strong as usual. You certain you shouldn't have that checked over?" Ikkaku said and Yumichika jumped in surprise. His sleep muddled mind hadn't detected Ikkaku's presence and he turned to him in surprise. His heart was beating and his eyes were wide but when the initial shock was over he shouted angrily at his friend.

"Ikkaku! What are you doing here? And don't creep up on people like that, it's creepy!" He shrieked and Ikkaku felt his ears ring at the high sound.

"I didn't creep up on ya!" He says, affronted.

"Well, but then what were you doing here? You should answer when I ask you something!

"Ya didn't answer my question" He points out and Yumichika blinks before he tries to remember the question.

"Ah, uhm, it's fine. They'll just lock me up if they see I've hurt it more" He answers finally and Ikkaku narrows his eyes.

"Well, that's true. But" He says and moves over and grabs the wet cloth from his hand and dips it in the water. "you still need to take care of it properly" He finishes and puts the once more cold cloth at Yumichika's injured wrist.

Yumichika gasped at the sudden coldness against the injury as well as in surprise at Ikkaku's actions. He hadn't expected it of his longtime friend.

Ikkaku looked up in concern. He hadn't expected Yumichika to sound pained; they had both had much worse injuries. He didn't get to see Yumichika's true feelings though, for when he met his friends gaze it was already back behind the wall again. He turned away before his irritation at it could be seen and wrapped the wet cloth more securely around his friend's wrist.

If it had been fifteen years ago, he wouldn't have noticed. He never would have guessed that Yumichika was putting on an act more often than he showed his true emotions. He always acted the way he wanted, you'd never think he was pretending.

But after _**that time,**_ he had started to feel that some of Yumichika's words and expressions didn't feel genuine. Was it because he realized Yumichika had lied to him? That Yumichika actually _**would**_ lie to him? He glanced up at Yumichika and saw that he was looking away with a distant expression on his face.

Ikkaku didn't know that his actions had caused the dreamlike state Yumichika was in at that moment. Yumichika wouldn't admit it, even to himself, but whatever Ikkaku did would always cause him to act strangely. He felt an intense need to prove himself to him. He didn't want to be hated, no matter what. That was why he never brought up the subject about that day in front of his best friend. He felt like if he spoke about it, it would inversely damage the bond they shared. If they never spoke about it, they could at least pretend like everything was fine.

That was good enough.

Ikkaku noticed the slight change in Yumichika's expression but when he didn't speak, he simply grumbled to himself before he took away the damp cloth and inspected the injured wrist. It wasn't as swollen anymore, so he took the fresh bandage roll that was beside the bowl and started to wrap up Yumichika's wrist. It looked a bit sloppier than if one of the 4th had done it, but it worked and when he was done he rose and stretched.

"Well, I'm off to train now. Don't push yourself and just, go rest or something" He said and then headed out the door before Yumichika could answer. He didn't like that it felt like he was escaping, but he couldn't really say much. The air had been getting tenser the longer he stayed and he definitely didn't know what to say, so he simply got out of there before it became more awkward.

* * *

On his way to the training grounds he tried his best to push the images of Yumichika's solemn expressions out of his mind. It wasn't his fault, so why did he have to worry? Okay, that thought made him feel like an asshole. Of course he was worried about his long time friend, but…

"Wait up baldy!" A happy voice chirped at him and his eyebrow twitched as he froze in place.

"Baldy?" He asked darkly and then turned to the offending person walking up to him. It was Ayame, the new 8th seat.

"Mah, don't get so upset! Not like it's not true" The platinum blonde said and waved a hand dismissively. Ikkaku felt his eyes narrow and glared at the man.

"What do you want?" He asked impatiently, barely containing the disgust he felt for the man. He was too much like Ichimaru to be likeable.

"Well, I juss' wondered how our dear 5th seat is" he said and tilted his head to the side as he smiled creepily.

"He's fine. If that's all, I'll go train. You should do that as well; spend your time on something better than snooping around" He ground out the rebuked and then turned to walk away.

"Oh? Then shouldn't ya spend your time away from him? He's only draggin ya down after all" The man drawled lazily and Ikkaku turned around angrily.

"What did ya say?" He growled out menacingly and when he was only met with a cocky grin he faintly wondered if the kid had a death wish.

"Should I repeat tha'?" Ayame asked sweetly and Ikkaku snapped. He took his sword and pointed it at the man.

"Shut up! One more word and I'll beat ya to a pulp!" He yelled and flared his reiatsu. The platinum blonde man shivered slightly under the immense pressure but then smiled as he made a motion over his mouth as if closing a zipper before waving and heading off.

Ikkaku was fuming. Since when had the members of the division gotten so disrespectful? He needed to speak to Kenpachi about the slack in discipline. When he finally arrived at the training grounds he noticed that the captain was gone. Frowning he remembered something about a captains meeting being held. He would have to wait with the talking then. Cracking his neck he settles for training until the man comes back.

* * *

"Silence!" Yamamoto boomed and the captains instantly shut their mouths. Once Unohana had announced that she had brought in several members of the different divisions for testing and that they had been put in quarantine for the time being, all hell had broke loose. Some captains were worried, others were annoyed that they hadn't been informed before the individuals had been brought in. And then there was Kurotsuchi who sullenly asked why he hadn't been informed. He quite elaborately explained how important it was that he instantly got to run some tests, which caused yet another bustling wave amongst the captains.

"Has it been determined that the disease has infected any of the shinigamis?" The general commander asked and Unohana answered solemnly.

"As of an hour ago I'm aware of 3 cases of the disease, all among the members of my own division. The ones put in quarantine won't leave until I am completely convinced they aren't infected with nor are carriers of the disease. I've taken samples and sent them to Kurotsuchi's department, which he can start to examine once he returns." Unohana's voice was steady as she spoke and she fixed the 12th division captain with a look before she swept her gaze over the captains.

"I would like every captain to inform their divisions that from now on, every member on a mission that leads to any of the districts reported to be stricken is to use the bell portals when they head back. They will get a full examination and are to stay in the quarantine for 42 hours before they are released. If deemed healthy that is" Her voice went slightly darker at the end and a few of the captains sent worried glances at the healer.  
Needless to say, Kenpachi wasn't one of them. He was bored as hell and itching for a fight. Not that there was anything unusual with that.

The meeting ended soon after, Yamamoto wanting Unohana to stay away from her division as little as possible and Kurotsuchi to start testing the samples. The two captains disappeared quickly, the rest of the captains taking their time to speak with each other as the exited.

"I didn't know it was that serious, looks like we'll have to be a bit more on our guard from now on" Ukitake said to Kyouraku who walked beside him.

"You should be extra careful, you know" Kyouraku replied earning him a slightly sullen look.

"I know that Shunsui" He said quietly but was dragged away from darkening thoughts when Hitsugaya spoke up.

"Ukitake, you don't happen to have any of those mint caramels?" He asks and Ukitake smiles widely before starting to rummage through his different pockets. In the end Hitsugaya received candy to the point where it was hard to carry it all.

"Thanks you…" He says and forces a smile which just makes the 13th divisions captains smile brighter.

Soon thereafter they reached a point where they had to split and when Ukitake turned a corner he just barely missed how the young captain and Kyouraku exchanged glances.

"We're even now" Hitsugaya said and Kyouraku nodded with an amused grin plastered on his face. Hitsugaya disappeared towards his own division, grumbling all the while.

* * *

A/N: First of all: Sorry that it's so short! Had to end there so I could make a small time skip that isn't too out of place.  
Second: Sorry for the delay! Was really busy with school work and I managed to work myself into a writer's block around Yumichika's and Ikkaku's conversations. It was hard and I'm not all too sure I'm happy with the result, but it'll have to do.  
Anyone can guess what "that" event they repeatedly mention could be? ^^

And a HUGE Naww for Hitsugaya! I never knew you were such a softie~! And why did you owe Kyouraku something? O.o

**A review however short would be welcome! ^o^**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Don't own the series.  
Warnings: Death, what could be seen as OOC, swearing

A/N: Sorry for the great delay! With school, family problems and Christmas I just didn't have the time to write. And I kind of got stuck with another project… But here it is and I do hope that the next chapter will be up soon! Enjoy!

Oh! And I'm going to go and correct some grammar errors in the previous chapters really soon. Sorry that they are there and I hope you bear with them until I get a chance to fix them!

* * *

It was night and though most of the inhabitants of the Seireitei had already gone to bed, the 4th division was bustling with activity. It was the 4th night since the disease had first been presented to the 4th division captain and she was at this moment sitting in a chair by one of the sickbeds. Her eyes were hurting from lack of sleep but she couldn't find it in her to go rest. She had made a mistake; a grave one.

She listened silently to the beeping of the machines keeping the female in the bed before her stabile. Her blonde hair was splayed out on the pillow and her closed eyes were encircled by dark lines that hadn't been there a few hours ago. Unohana closed her eyes as the events a couple of hours earlier played through her mind.

"_**Unohana-taichou! Amano is having a seizure! Please come to the 5**__**th**__** room!" The healer called and Unohana hurried over. She quickly went over to the struggling ma**__**ns side and tightened her control over her reiatsu before she started to repel the attack while the other healers held the man down. His dark hair was plastered to his face as sweat formed on his body. Beneath his closed eyelids his eyes moved frantically **__**and his head turned from side to side as his body convulsed violently.**_

"_**His pulse is going up! Where is that medicine?" One of the healers called and another came rushing with a needle and small bottle with liquid. Quickly injecting a small dosage they waited for it to take effect as Unohana continued to focus on repelling the signals causing the seizure. **_

_**After several tense minutes the attack starts to calm down and the man turns limp in their hold. Unohana continues to send her reiatsu into the man unti**__**l she feels it's safe to stop. When she pulls back she lets out a small, exhausted breath. She checked the patient's vitals and started to give new instructions; the man was not to be left alone for any reason. Just when she was finishing up she was called**__** over to the 7**__**th**__** room. Pushing away thoughts of her futon and rest, she heads over to the room. **_

_**Her 14**__**th**__** seat instantly turned to her and relief washed over her features. "Thank god…" She whispered as she moved back to allow her captain to take over. **_

"_**What is his status?" Unohana asked the tired female who answered quickly.**_

"_**He has been twitching in his sleep and his pulse has started to increase. I called you over when I started to feel his reiatsu spike" She reported, the last of her sentence almost drowned out as the man let out a scream. Unohana turned to the man and hurried to force a calming technique to fog over the patients racing mind. To her surprise, the technique was interrupted by the patients racing reiatsu and it suddenly spiked violently. **_

_**Unohana felt the dense reiatsu slam against her and she felt the fear that was seeping from it. That was as much she could register before a high-pitched shriek of pain cut through the air. Unohana **__**turned her head from the patient and saw how her 14**__**th**__** seat**__** had fallen to the floor, cradling her head as she let out another shriek with tears streaming down her face. **_

_**Healers came rushing as they heard the screams and when they saw the state the young girl was in they fought against confusion to try and calm her. Unohana hesitated before she ordered them to quickly get her out of here. The girl's screams faded from her and she turned her focus to the patient at hand. The reiatsu still spiked and she tried to force some control over it as she at the same time tried to calm the man. **_

_**It became too much for her. After so much time without sleep and with so much stress her senses were edgy and her focus shaky. The uncontrolled reiatsu spiked once more before it disappeared along with the patient's breath and heartbeat. **_

Unohana had been in shock and the time she spent there doing nothing had been costly for her subordinate. When Unohana had gone to the room where they had put the girl, she was spilling raw emotions and Unohana didn't have a choice but to put the poor woman to sleep. She had forcibly made her enter a deep state of unconsciousness in order to protect the shaken mind. Kawano didn't wake up even several hours later when Unohana lifted the sleep technique.

Unohana clasped her hands together. It was her fault that this happened. She hadn't been careful enough and her hesitation had cost her not only the life of one of her patients and subordinates, but also damaged another's mind. She knew about her 14th seated officer's specialty. She knew how the girl was exceptionally good at sensing reiatsu.

So why had she let the girl stay in such an unstable environment? The burst of emotions that had been shot out along with the reiatsu had flooded the girl and she had been unable to do anything. The captain lowered her head in grief and self loathing, staying that way until Isane came and made her go back to her quarters to sleep. But even as she lay on her futon, sleep eluded her.

Several hours later when Isane returned to her side she was still awake. She couldn't help the despair that surged through her. Why did this affect her so much? She had been through worse times, so why was she so shaken by the death of one patient? She wasn't behaving like herself…

"Unohana, please tell me you didn't stay awake the whole night" Isane said, worry etched unto her features. The dark haired captain didn't answer. The silence stretched uncomfortably in the room and Isane's brows were furrowed in worry.

"I think that something must be wrong with me" Unohana said softly, meeting the shocked eyes of her lieutenant.

"Wha-" Isane started but she stopped when her captain interrupted her.

"I'm not acting like myself. I haven't lost sleep over the death or injury of my subordinates in years. Why have I started now?" She asked softly and saw how her lieutenant struggled to answer. When she didn't get an answer, Unohana sighed and whispered softly to herself.

"I must be getting old" She murmured before closing her eyes. Detached memories of the last few years flashed through her mind before she slowly slipped into sleep.

Isane was speechless. Her captain's words had surprised her and when she finally came to; she found that the older woman had fallen asleep. Not intent on waking her now that she finally got the rest she needed, the pale haired woman rose and quietly exited the room. She would have to inform the division not to disturb the captain with anything less than catastrophic news. As she made her way to the office she mulled over the words her captain had said. She didn't believe her captain to be getting sentimental with age, but something was wearing at her. She wished she knew what.

* * *

Yumichika stretched and suppressed a yawn before he took a look at his wrist. It didn't seem to have gotten worse even after the training the day before, he noted as he opened and closed his hand repeatedly.

"Chouko-chan really did a good job on it" He murmured before going to change his clothes. It had been some time since he had gotten his injury and he had been to check on it just yesterday. Chouko, one of the few people he respected and actually was fond of in the 4th division, had checked on him and told him to be more careful. His training sessions had not gone unnoticed, but she let him go with a reprimand. In a few days he would be able to use it properly without worrying.

Once he was properly dressed, his hair fixed and his feathers in place, he turned on his heel and exited his room. It was about time for practice and though he had actually been excused from it after the first time, he preferred it to the other task he had to choose from. It was either training or babysitting Yachiru. Not hard to guess the choice, right?

Ikkaku had been a bit distant with him since the second training session and he didn't know what to think of it. First Ikkaku had acted all worried and sweet, taking care of his wound. The next day he was distant. It really didn't make sense!

Letting out a sigh he then rounded a corner and bumped into someone. He stumbled just slightly and then when he looked up to see who it was he froze. It was the 8th seat, Ayame. Said man blinked and then let a creepy smile graze his features.

"My my, if it isn't Yumi-tan" He said and Yumichika twitched at the nickname. If anyone in this division got on his nerves really bad, then it was this man. He had nestled himself in among some of the veterans, god knows how, and reached his position fairly quickly after joining the division.

"Ayame" He answered and then moved to walk past him.

"Wait a lil'! We haven't got the chance ta speak yet, have we?" The platinum blonde said and blocked his path. Yumichika held back a glare.

"What do we have to speak about?" He asked and feigned indifference, nonchalantly flipping his hair out of the way.

"Not one fer small talk I see" Ayame said and leaned casually against the wall.

"There is no purpose behind small talk except delaying something inevitable or passing time. None of those are really in my taste" Yumichika said and met the calculating gaze of the lower seated officer.

"As expected of our 5th seat!" The other man praised in a voice that screamed of false cheer and clapped his hands.

Yumichika narrowed his eyes. What was going on in this man's head? He got an answer he didn't expect.

"I spoke with Baldy a few days ago. He seemed a bit angry. Didn't like ta speak about ya the least"

Confusion was written all over Yumichika's face at those words and Ayame continued while smiling smugly.

"Actually, I told 'im he shouldn't bother with someone like you. He should do somethin' betta with his time, ya know'?"

Yumichika felt his eyes widen and it felt like his heart stopped. '_He's __told Ikkaku to not bother with me?__ Is that why Ikkaku's been avoiding me?'_

"What's with da long face? Could it be… he actually been avoidin' ya?" Yumichika wasn't able to meet the man's eyes and desperately tried to think of something to say.  
_'He wouldn't do something just because someon__e like you told him to'_ or _'It's truly unsightly of you to __try and __defame me like that. I should teach you a lesson.'_  
Anything was better than this silence!

"Mah, don' tell me he actually did tha'? Now tha's juss' hilarious!" Ayame said and laughed. Yumichika's cheeks burned in shame and he pushed his way past the man. He kept hearing the man's words and laughter and he sped up, trying to escape the eerie sound.

Once he came to a stop he was far away from his original destination. Looking around he found himself surrounded by trees with a small lake in the middle of the small glade he had entered. It was a very beautiful place.

Taking a few careful steps he moves closer to the lake and when he stands by the edge of the water, he looks down into it. His own fleeting expression is reflected on the surface and he draws back when he sees a small streak of what looks like tears on his cheek. He lifts his hand but finds both of his cheeks dry. Blinking in confusion he moves closer again and kneels down so he can see better.

After a few moments he finally comes to the conclusion that he simply saw wrongly. He sighed deeply before he gazed at his rippling reflection on the water surface with half lidded eyes.

"Truly pathetic… right?" He mutters quietly. Nothing answered him and after a while he felt anger rise within him. He snapped his hand through the water in aggravation and then stood up, stomping angrily on the ground.

"Damn!" He cursed angrily and tugged at his hair. "Why does it affect me so much? He's just an unsophisticated asshole! A fucking parasite living of others misery! He's worthless! He's… He's…!" He cursed again and fell to his knees. A sob broke free from his strangled throat and his frame shook as he wrapped his arms around himself.

"Why do they have to continue with it? Why can't they just let it end?" He whispered hoarsely before sitting up with his knees close to his chest, arms wrapped around them and face hidden from sight.

* * *

"Where the fuck is he?" The bald 3rd seat of the 11th division growled. He had been waiting for Yumichika to turn up for quite some time now and was starting to get really pissed. After an hour he had been certain that he wasn't going to show up and after another 30 minutes he had been sent by Yachiru to find him. She had said something about it being unfair for him to not only skip practice but to not come play with her as the other part of the deal.

He had already been to the 5th seats private quarters and most of the places that the man usually went to whenever he was bored or wanted to be alone. After checking the hillside behind the division and still finding no trace of his friend he was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable. Why had he disappeared without telling anyone? Where had he gone?

"Why didn't you tell me beforehand?" He muttered and then stopped in his tracks as the words struck a note inside him_. 'He couldn't really have told me… I wasn't there to hear it…'_

Cursing his own stupidity at not supporting his friend when he needed it, he flash stepped towards the next area.

* * *

A/N: Whoa, didn't expect some of the things in this chapter myself, but I've got it under control.  
And yeah, I suck at writing drawling speech! XD  
So, what is wrong with Unohana? Will Yumichika be able to fight against his inner darkness? And will Ayame get his ass handed to him when Ikkaku learns of his insolence? I certainly hope so.*Insert evil laugh*

**IMPORTANT FOR YUMICHIKA FANS AND OTHERS!** About Yumichika's behavior in this chapter, it is not clearly explained why but he has been mentally tortured by an event that took place 10 years prior to this story. It torments him continuously and his control/emotional strength/mentality is starting to fray at the edges causing this slightly unstable personality of his. Sorry if it upsets people but don't worry, he's going to be back on track eventually.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach!  
Warnings: Coarse language, blood and fighting, dirty jokes

**Extra long chapter due to the long wait!**

A/N: First of all: Thank you, all who put this story to your favorites! I'm really happy! ^o^  
I would get even happier if I found a review or two! *hint hint*  
Second: I am sorry for the lateness of this chapter, but right now I have to worry about the upcoming national exams, choice of a new school as well as my birthday, that happens to be surrounded by the exams… But the good news is that during this long wait I have polished the story in my head and filled plot holes, improved so-so scenes and swapped the bad ones for better ones! And I've regained my full drive to write this story! Now enjoy!

* * *

Ikkaku sighed and rubbed the back of his head before he finally turned to the last place he could think of to look. The sun was already high on the sky and it was warm for being so early in the year. He slowed down once he reached the area he'd been looking for. Not that he wouldn't know where it was, everyone with the least sense of direction and actually even those who completely seemed to lack it like Yachiru and Kenpachi, could find it.

The big building complex of the 4th division was in front of him now and he walked over to the entrance before he turned towards the reception. Chouko was a joint friend of theirs, though Yumichika spent more time with her than Ikkaku himself did. She was quite the strong midget for being in the 4th and they had come to respect her.  
If Yumichika wasn't hiding somewhere, he was probably talking to that woman. They seemed to understand each other in a way Ikkaku found unnerving.

He walked up to the division member sitting by the reception and saw how the man looked up when feeling his presence. Gulping the man backed a step before clearing his throat.

"Can I h-help you with anything, Madarame-san?" A sweat drop slid down his brow and he shifted nervously where he was. Ikkaku rolled his eyes.

"I've come to visit Chouko. Know where she is?" He asked and the man turned to a computer. A short time later he looked up.

"She is in the 23F2 C.R.A."

Ikkaku stared at him. _'What the fuck did that mean?'_

"Uhm… I meant… the 23rd room on the second floor, comatose rehabilitation area." The man clarified and Ikkaku's eye twitched._ 'Say so from the beginning!'_

"And where's that?" Ikkaku asked, his patience running thin.

"I-I'll show you. Uhm, Mariko! Can you take over here?" He called out to a nearby woman. She looked up and nodded before she quietly walked over and slid behind the desk. The man motioned for Ikkaku to follow him and then started to walk quickly down the hall.

Ikkaku followed closely behind and ignored the people who looked at them while passing. It didn't take long for them to reach the stairs and once up on the second floor they turned left at the first turn. A couple of doors down, they finally reached a door with the number '23' on it. The man opened it and entered and Ikkaku followed behind.

And froze.

He had been expecting Chouko to sit on a chair keeping an eye on someone or checking someone's current condition. He hadn't expected to see the girl unconscious and plugged up to several machines. He quickly turned to the man and pressed him against the wall.

"What happened to her?" He growled out and the man blinked in surprise.

"W-what?" The nervous man choked out.

"What the fuck happened to her?" Ikkaku nearly roared and the man answered wide-eyed:

"I-I don't know the details. Since you asked to see her I thought you knew…" He drifted off and Ikkaku growled once more before releasing the man to walk over to her bedside.

Her blond hair had been released and framed her pale face as it lay on the pillow. Dark bags could be seen under her eyes and she lay completely still apart from the slow rise and fall of her chest. Not knowing what to do and feeling how the tension built the longer he stayed still, Ikkaku left the room without looking back. He had to find Yumichika.

* * *

Yumichika had spent several hours at his newfound place, only returning when he had control over his emotions once more. He had washed his face briefly in the water to ensure there was no trace of his breakdown and then started to head back to his quarters. He would apologize to the captain for not attending training after he'd eaten some.

He didn't meet anyone special on his way back and by keeping his expression confident and slightly nonchalant he managed to steer clear of snide comments as well. When he came to his own room he reflexively took a step backwards as the door was opened.

"…" He blinked in surprise and stood completely still as he stood face to face with a rather pissed looking Ikkaku. Silence stretched for a time before Ikkaku grabbed Yumichika's arm and dragged him inside the room and shut the door. Yumichika made a sound halfway between surprise and indignant and was about to lash out at the man when he was silenced by the image of Ikkaku's back. His shoulders were tense and his fists clenched at his side. But what was most apparent was that he had yet to turn around and look at him.

"Ikkaku?" He asked carefully. He didn't know what had happened, but he had a bad feeling that wouldn't leave.

"Where the fuck have you been?" Ikkaku asked in a voice that rumbled deep in his chest. Yumichika narrowed his eyes and looked at his best friend. Was this all it was about?

"I don't really know why that would be so much of a concern, but I…" He didn't get further as Ikkaku interrupted him

"It matters when you disappear for several hours and I can't find you. It matters even more when I find out that while one friend is missing, another is in the 4th division and in a fucking coma." His voice was dark and heavy with anger and finally he turned so Yumichika could see his expression. Caught by the fierce look in Ikkaku's eyes, it took some time before his words sank in.

"Wai-What? Who's in a coma?" He asked in confusion and Ikkaku sighed before his expression turned slightly softer.

"Chouko." He said simply and Yumichika felt his eyes widen.

"Tell me." Yumichika said quietly and he knew that Ikkaku would know that he wanted to hear everything.

"When you didn't show up, at first I simply waited but eventually I went looking for you. I went to the cliffs, the bar and the 5th, 9th, 10th and 3rd division. I asked Kira, Renji, Shuuhei, Matsumoto, Kaoru, Hinamori and Hitsugaya-taichou…" He continued to ramble on about places he's searched and people he had asked and Yumichika grimaced. Eventually Ikkaku paused. When he continued he sounded calmer.

"Eventually I ran out of places to look at and people to ask, so I went to ask Chouko. When I get there I suddenly get to know that she's in a coma." He crossed his arms across his chest.

"So I went back here, hoping that you would be back from wherever you had been. I thought you'd wanna know what happened to her." His eyes were hard and Yumichika could once more feel that slightly hostile feeling from his friend. He must have really upset him.

"I do want to know. And that's why I'll head there now." He walked past Ikkaku and hesitated for a moment. Should he apologize? No, wait, why should he do that? He just wanted to be alone for some time, there's nothing wrong with that! And besides, Ikkaku had been avoiding him before, so why should Ikkaku get away without an apology when he didn't? Deciding against saying anything he headed out, the door closing with finality behind him.

* * *

Ikkaku stayed where he was. He had expected something. He wasn't certain what, but he knew that he hadn't received it. Feeling anger ride out the worry, he left Yumichika's room. His reiatsu pulsed slightly to the beat of his coiling emotions and he felt how his hands clenched and unclenched repeatedly. He was so itching to hit something!

"… and he's been gone since then! Who would 'a thought da "great" 5th seat would do tha' fo' somethin' as ridiculous as tha!" A familiar voice said and Ikkaku stopped in his tracks. He turned slightly and saw a bunch of squad members situated with Ayame in the center of attention. The men laughed at whatever it was that Ayame had been telling them about and Ikkaku narrowed his eyes and remained where he was, intent on finding out whatever it was that was so funny about Yumichika.

"The way he's acting, you'd think he was better than that. All high and mighty, talking down to you like he's superior in every way." The man spat on the ground. "But you've proved him wrong! Behind that façade of his, he's just a snotty little kid. With you here, maybe he'll finally learn his place!" One of the men said and gave an approving clap to Ayame's shoulder.

"My, I only tried ta speak ta 'im. 'S not my fault if he took it da wrong way." Ayame said innocently but his smile was devilish. Unable to listen anymore, Ikkaku walked over and flared his reiatsu to inform the men about his presence.  
Some visibly jerked at it, while others just winced discretely. The only one who did neither was Ayame who simply cocked his head to the side and smiled that creepy smile of his.

"Should I drag you all up before the captain for speaking ill of a seated officer and acting in a way unfitting the division?" Ikkaku asked coldly and a few had the decency to look ashamed. Unsurprising, Ayame and the man who had praised him did not.

"Good day to you to, Madarame-san." Ayame said calmly and a few of the men gathered turned to him in surprise.

"What did you do to Yumichika?" Ikkaku asked, ignoring the impulse to slam his fist into that smiling face.

"Nothin' really" Ayame said and leaned back, supported by his hands on the ground behind him, wearing an expression worthy of a cat contently basking in the sun. It pissed him off.

"Answer the fucking question!" Ikkaku growled out, his eyes narrowed and glaring daggers.

"I just did?" The platinum blonde said and cocked his head to the side, looking at him like he had just asked something stupid.  
Ikkaku could barely believe it. This kid must have a death wish! His face must have showed his shock, for the men gathered glanced meaningfully between themselves. There was something he had missed, probably from before he came.

"Why don't you let this little slip pass?" Ayame proposed sweetly and the men nodded as if to themselves.

"Are you telling me to ignore your defaming of a seated officer and friend of mine?" Ikkaku asked and Ayame exchanged knowing glances with the other men.

"What?" He asked lowly and the 8th seat looked with pity at him.

"Defiling tha name of an officer… and _**friend**_ of yours. Tha's where da true sore spot is, right?" He said and the other men cast glances at their 3rd seat. Ikkaku narrowed his eyes.

"What are you implying?"

"If we'd been speakin' 'bout anyone else you'd not really care, would ya? Tha fact tha he's yer friend… special treatment?" He raised a brow and Ikkaku glared.

"It does make me angry that you speak of him like that, but I'd still stop you if it was someone else." He said angrily.

"Oh really?" One of the men said and Ikkaku turned to him.

"Really" He snapped, feeling his temper flaring.

"But you didn't say anything about the special treatment. Maybe because you don't want others to know something?" The man said and sought the others gazes for support. Quiet mumbling of agreement erupted and Ikkaku frowned. What the heck where they talking about?

"Perhaps there's somethin between da two of ya, like let's say, a sexual relationship?" Ayame said and Ikkaku stared in disbelief at the man.

"What?" He asked reflexively.

"I asked if you an' yer precious lil' _**"friend"**_ are screwing." He said matter-of-factly.

"That's none of your business." Ikkaku answered but quickly realized that was the wrong answer as the men looked disrespectfully at him.

"As I said, sore spot." Ayame said and flicked snickered.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me." Ikkaku exclaimed.

"No thanks, I'd rather not fuck or make kids with ya." Ayame answered jokingly and the others laughed at his witty answer.

"What are fuck is wrong with you?" Ikkaku growled and Ayame smiled even wider.

"Some would say a lot is." He answered and chuckled with a confident grin plastered on his face.

**That's it!** Ikkaku walked forward and slammed his fist straight at Ayame's face. It made contact with the man's face and with a satisfying crack as it broke his nose. Ayame fell backwards from the strength of the blow and when he landed he put a hand up to the bloody mess where his perfectly shaped nose had been before. He groaned in pain and then cursed before he staggered to his feet.

"Fuck" Ayame muttered darkly and it was distorted by the blood and his hand. He glared at Ikkaku and then gave a faint smile.

"Definitely a sore spot." He said before he straightened his back and looked at his blood drenched hand. "Or maybe I should say _a touchy subject_?"

"You will all be called for an extra vigorous training pass later. You should prepare yourselves mentally for this won't be a walk in the park." Ikkaku said darkly before marching off.

His mood had become really foul thanks to that meeting, but hitting that offending man in the face had done wonders. The way the cartilage had given way under his fist with a satisfying crack, and the pained groan… Nice, but not good enough. When Kenpachi was through with them, _**then**_ he'd be satisfied.

* * *

It was late afternoon when Unohana woke. She grasped briefly after the vivid fragments of her dream even as it faded, but then sat up. The room was dark and it took a moment before she realized that the shutters must be on. A quick glance in the windows general direction confirmed this, and she rose to open them. Light flooded the room as she opened the shutters and she squinted until her eyes got used to the light. A gentle breeze was blowing outside and she inhaled the subtle fragrances born on it. For a moment she relaxed there, letting the sun and wind lap against her. But then she sighed and went over to the bathroom.

A few moments later she emerged, freshly washed and dressed in new clean clothes. She exited her chambers and instantly headed over to her office. She met few division members on the way, but those she met smiled at her and hoped she felt better. She smiled and thanked them for their concern before she continued. She found her office empty and with only a small pile of paperwork graced her desk. Flipping through them quickly she then put them aside for later and went to get some food.

During her meal she quietly contemplated her melancholy of the night before without much success searched for the cause. She had felt very unhappy at that moment but now she couldn't find the emotion. It must have been caused by stress and lack of sleep she finally deduced. Taking another sip at her tea she then put her dishes together and put them to the side while she started on her paperwork. A while later Isane popped in and cleared the dishes away. The silver haired woman left soon thereafter, not voicing the question that seemed to hang in the air between them.

Once she was done with her paperwork she felt that she needed to take a break. She needed fresh air. Rising she walked out and went to one of the many gardens that graced the 4th division with their calm, fresh and crispy atmosphere. She walked slowly through them, absentmindedly stopping to examine a few flowers and herbs that grew at places.

She was broken from her slow pacing by a hell butterfly fluttering up to her left. She looked at it for a moment before she straightened and held her hand out to it. It landed on her finger and Unohana felt that slight tingling sensation before the message came.

"Unohana-taichou, I expect you to have a report about the current state of affairs at the end of the week. The next meeting will take place Sunday evening. That's all." Once the message was delivered the butterfly lifted and disappeared. Unohana retraced her hand and then turned back towards her office. She had 3 days to complete the report.

* * *

"Kotatsu-fukutaichou" Isane turned at the voice and blinked when she saw Yumichika. Surprised at his sudden appearance she took a moment before she answered.

"What can I do to help, Ayasegawa-san?" She asked and Yumichika walked up to her.

"I heard from Ikkaku that Chouko is in a coma. Could you tell me what happened?" He asked and Isane gave him a sympathetic look.

"Without breaking professional secrecy, of course" Yumichika quickly added.

"I have to fetch tea for the captain, but if you follow me we can talk on the way." Giving a small smile to the man she saw how Yumichika nodded silently and then they started to walk down the hall. After a moment, the silver haired lieutenant spoke up.

"We have had some troubles concerning a disease that's been spreading. I'm sure you've heard about it" Yumichika hadn't but kept that to himself. His captain must simply have forgotten to mention it. "Kawano was one of the healers that were stationed within the quarantine. Perhaps that wasn't the best though… She is quite sensitive after all. Either way, she was there when a patient died and from what I've heard, it shocked her deeply. She had to be put to sleep by Unohana-taichou, but then she didn't wake up when she should have." Isane spoke slowly and thoughtfully, careful of what she said.

"I see." Yumichika said quietly with an absentminded look on his face.

They spent the rest of the way to the kitchen in silence and when Isane started preparing tea, Yumichika helped her. While waiting for the tea to be ready they were both lost in their individual thoughts. When Isane rises to complete the tea Yumichika rises as well and then bids her goodbye before disappearing down the hall they came from before.

Isane shook her head slightly, making her small braid rattle before she put the tea on a tray and headed towards her captains office. She found her captain busy looking through medical files and reports.

"Here you go." She said and put the tea down by her captain. Unohana smiled in response and took a small sip before she put it down again and looked up at her.

"What happened while I was resting?" She asked and Isane started to report.

She told her about the condition of Kawano, about the patients in the quarantine and about the ones in the critical department. Not much had changed, but she had missed the scheduled meeting with Matsumoto and Lieutenant Sullivan had come to speak to her but left saying it wasn't that important.

"I see. Thank you Isane" Unohana said and then returned to her medical files. Isane bowed and left to check in at the reception and go her usual round.

* * *

Unohana read through the medical files of Amano Naoki, the man she had failed at saving. She compared them to older ones and saw how quickly his values had worsened. The techniques she had tried so far had showed minimal success and the patients were worsening every day. If she couldn't find some treatment to heal them, or at least halt the process, 80% of the smitten would die before the end of next week. She rubbed at her temples and pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. It wouldn't do good to be distracted by what could happen when she still had a chance to prevent it.

She spent another hour comparing the values of different patients from before they got sick and up to the latest checkup. Writing down a few notes she then put them to the side. That's when she caught sight of Ukitake Juushiro's latest test results laying abandoned at the bottom of her pile of medical files. She still hadn't looked over the slight change she had noticed several days prior when he had been there for the tests. She frowned as she realized she had done yet another mistake without realizing it. Sighing she put all other files away and took the sickly captains file and opened it to look through its content.

Blood values were normal, he didn't lack any nutriments and the other values were normal for being him. She picked up the x-rays and held them up to the light. She looked first at the older one and then stared intently on the latest one. At first they seemed to be the same but then she saw the slightly different formation on the later one. It had spread a little further. She sighed sadly and put the pictures down. The medicines where starting to fail again. She would have to inform the captain early tomorrow. For now she had to see how much worse it had gotten and if there was any subtle changes elsewhere. She would also have to look for a new combination of antibiotics to use to hinder the process. The hours slowly crept by as she immersed herself in the search for a solution to both of the diseases plaguing her mind.

* * *

It was evening and clouds had started to build up, covering the evening sky. The wind was blowing stronger and it tousled his white hair and tugged furiously at his clothes, seeking its way underneath to chill his skin. Ukitake shivered slightly and then hurried along to his sleeping quarters. He was still feeling fine but knew that if he didn't get warm soon his body would start to bother him again. He had decided against taking his warmer pair of shihakusho, and now that decision came back to bite him in the ass.

He opened the door and hurried inside, closing the door quickly so that the cold wouldn't seep inside and then rubbed his arms as he to his dismay found that the room was already freezing. He had opened the window early that morning and then forgotten to close it again. He went over and closed it before he turned back inside the room and turned on the heater and pulled out a blanket he could nuzzle down under. He also took out a book and when he was sufficiently wrapped up inside the warm cloth he opened it and started reading. He wasn't really interested in reading at the moment, but it was better than listening to the wind blowing and the building creaking as he waited for time to go by.

He had read about a dozen of pages when he heard a knock and Kiyone entered. She brought some tea that smelled of chamomile and happily requested that he drank it. Sentarou was down with a cold so the normally loud 3rd seat was a lot quieter, but she still smiled and when she felt the chill in the room chided him for not being careful enough. Ukitake smiled and apologized and then thanked her for the tea. He drank it and felt how it warmed him up inside. He had truly needed that.

After making sure that her captain was fine for the evening she left. And suddenly the room seemed so much quieter. Ukitake lowered his eyes and sipped on the tea even as a cold that had nothing with the cold outside to do settled over him. He didn't think of it that often, but at days like these when he was forced to stay indoors, confined to his quarters, he felt lonely. He didn't think that anyone ever noticed it, but whenever he was left to his own thoughts for long enough, he would start to wonder how it would be if he wasn't sick. What would he be doing? Who would he be with? One of the things that plagued him more than the others was that he wondered if he would have been able to find someone to love if he hadn't been sick. At times he longed for a companionship that was more than just friends, but he also denied himself any hope of a future together with anyone.

It was when his thought turned bleak like this that he would simply sigh and put away whatever he was doing. He wouldn't be able to get any work done in this state of mind. And it was also usually at times like this that Kyouraku would show up to spend some time with him. He wouldn't go as far as to say the man could read his mind, but he was extremely sensitive to his mood swings.

A slight knock and he was made aware that just as he had been thinking of him, the captain came through the door with a bottle of sake in his hand and a grin on his face.

"How about a drink?" The captain of the 8th division asked and grinned at his friend. Grateful for the distraction, Ukitake smiled and told him to get inside already and leave the cold outside.

They conversed long into the night before Ukitake declared that he was so tired he could barely hold his eyes open. Kyouraku chuckled and patted his long time friend on the shoulder before he headed back to his own place. Ukitake wasn't certain if the man knew it, but he was grateful to have a friend such as him. Extremely grateful. He made the lonely hours seem more bearable and he gave him the strength to get up those mornings when his body ached to the point where he didn't want to wake up ever again. But he couldn't completely fill the void he felt. No one could.

* * *

A/N: Naaaw… Poor Juushiro is lonely. I don't know where that came from exactly and I had to repeat that "Juushiro and Shunsui are not going to be lovers" to myself. That piece still feels slightly like JuushiroxShunsui, but it's purely friendship people!  
Either way, I do hope you enjoyed the chapter! A lot of stuff happened here, and didn't it feel good to smack down Ayame? Personally, I hate him. :)  
Next chapter will come when it comes, hopefully before the end of February, but February will be a hard month for me, so don't count on it. Now go and leave a review! :D


	7. Appology and Hiatus notice

Hey there and sorry for the long wait for any sort of news on this story. I hate to say this but I don't feel like continuing on this story at the moment. I have written a bit further on it and changed a few small things here and there in earlier chapters, but I don't feel like updating.

This story is obviously not what people want to read so I will put it on a hiatus just like the version before this one. I will continue to write it for my own pleasure if I find the drive, but I won't update it for the time being.

I apologize to all of you who actually managed to enjoy this, but I can't continue this story in the mindset I am in right now. Know that it may be continued on a later date and that if you really are interested in it; send a message to let me know.

Oneshots will be all I'm going to put up until I find my drive again and it will be some time even between updates on those.

I apologize again and thank you for the brief time I could give you enjoyment/ways to pass time with this story and know it was appreciated.

**Thank you / Val.**


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